Something to Tell Her
by Archangela
Summary: H/H pairing, another one of my so-called simple and sweet songfics using that song from "The Lion King". This was co-written by the wonderful child prodigy beside me on the bus... r&r, for her sake!!!


Something to Tell Her

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by Archangela and Ginny G.

Firework sparks were everywhere, and so was the unmistakable scent of butterbeer. It was a before-the-Yule-Ball-last-chance-to-get-a-date kind of party in the Gryffindor common room, and the Weasley twins seemed to have taken it upon themselves to be the life of the party.

"After all, it is our last year in Hogwarts, right, Ronniekins?" Fred cheerfully slapped Ron on the back, causing Ron to spit out the Every Flavor Bean he was chewing onto Parvati's robes. George helped himself to more of the punch (slipping some alcoholic butterbeer in as well…) while watching Ron apologize to the incensed Parvati.

"So, what's up?" George sat down with Ron just was Parvati stalked away. "Nothing." Ron shrugged, face red. Hermione laughed and happily flicked a small Ink Bomb at Ron. "Ron, everyone knows you like Parvati… why don't you just ask her out to the Yule Ball, already?" Ron grew even redder. "No. Way." Then it was Harry's turn to chuckle. "Oh come on! It's not that hard, is it?" 

"Sure Harry, as if you've got a date already!" growled Ron.

The night went on, with fireworks and fountains, laughter and babble, teasing and bantering. The stars were already growing dim as the last few students hauled themselves out of the sticky armchairs. But still, the famous three were still there.

Harry stretched and yawned as Hermione rubbed her eyes. It was when the clock struck one when Ron stood up. 

"Watch me."

Hermione and Harry looked on in amazement as Ron strode over to where Parvati was sitting with Lavender. From across the empty common room, they could hear his voice, clear as crystal. "Parvati, will you go to the Ball with me?" 

After a very tense silence, Parvati smiled. "Why not?" Ron gave a very obvious sigh of relief and politely offered his arm to her. "May I accompany you to your room?" Parvati laughed and took it. "Fine, but not _in _my room." As they got up, Ron looked over his shoulder and winked at Harry and Hermione, who were still sitting across each other, dumbfounded. Lavender followed the two up the staircase, grinning widely.

And that left Harry and Hermione, quietly finishing off the last of their butterbeer. "So, Hermione, what do you reckon of the new subjects we'll be taking next year?"

Unbeknownst to the two of them, two pairs of eyes peered out of the dark near the foot of the staircases, first watching Ron escort a blushing Parvati to her dormitory, then Harry and Hermione, who were now talking softly. 

"I can see what's happening?"

"What?"

"And they don't have a clue!"

"Who?"

Fred Weasley's unmistakable red hair glimmered in the soft light that flickered when his twin pulled out his wand.

"George, they'll fall in love and here's the bottom line… Harry's got one too."

"Oh."

Fred waved his hand vaguely at the dark windows, where stars shone softly. "The sweet caress of twilight, there's magic in the air…" George, taking this as a cue, shot a simple _Amoristo _charm into the Gryffindor common room.

Harry and Hermione looked up. "Did you notice anything, Harry?" 

"Like what?"

"I don't know… everything's become softer… fuzzier and warmer."

"Probably just the butterbeer."

"And with all this romantic atmosphere… disaster's in the air!" Fred finished quietly, glaring at his brother.

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Can you feel the love tonight?

The peace the evening brings

They kept their voices low, as if afraid of disturbing the sleeping people upstairs. "Hmm… do you think Seamus _really _asked Millicent Bulstrode?" Harry frowned, poking his wand at his empty mug, refilling it. Hermione giggled. "I don't know, but I'd never go _that far _for a dare!" 

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The world, for once, in perfect harmony

With all its living things

Everything was quiet, a blessed silence, unbroken by their subdued conversation. Outside, the stars were brilliant, reminding them that there was still time… for all you know, they would never have another chance at this again.

"Hey, Hermione. Has anyone asked you out to the Yule Ball yet?" Harry grinned up at her, emerald eyes radiant behind his glasses. Hermione looked up and blushed prettily. "No, not yet… I'm still waiting for that… perfect guy." Harry handed her a bag of Every Flavor Beans. "Perfect guy?" Hermione nodded, looking at the bag of beans. Harry laughed and held it out to her. "Take it, I picked out all the nasty looking ones for you."

Harry watched Hermione as she began erasing carpet stains with her Scouring Charms. He lost himself in his own little world of doubt.

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"So many things to tell her… but how to make her see?" Hermione tossed him a strange pinkish-brown bean. _"The truth about this love…" _

Hermione suddenly looked up at Harry, cinnamon eyes melancholy. "Harry.. I've been thinking.. maybe there _is no perfect guy._" Harry blinked. _"… Impossible! She'd turn away from me."_

Hermione pointed her wand at a punch stain on the seat of her favorite armchair. _"Filigeo!" _She was aware… perhaps too aware, of Harry's eyes on her, watching her every move. She wasn't bothered, that was the last thing she could ever be. In fact, she was pleased, pleased that he was finally noticing her. She had done all she could that day, hoping against hope, that her prayers would be answered, at that Harry would finally say those words… and ask her to the Yule Ball.

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"He's holding back, he's hiding… but what? I can't decide." Hermione looked up and tossed a pink and brown bean at Harry, hoping he'd smile at her. _"Why won't he be the king I know he is, the king I see inside?" _She stood up and sat back down on her chair, unable to look straight at Harry.

"Harry?"

"Mm?"

"You're so humble."

"Huh?"

"Well, all those times you could have been the star of the show, top student, teacher's pet… and you gave them all away… to me."

Harry caught Hermione's gaze and smiled. "Hermione, maybe I really did want you to be the star of the show."

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Can you feel the love tonight?

The romantic ambience George had cast was now swirling around them, and Harry and Hermione were both painfully aware that they were totally alone… with each other, the one they loved the most.

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The peace the evening brings

The unspoken question hung in the air, like the sudden stirrings between the Boy Who Lived, and a simple Muggle-born who just happened to be terrifically clever.

And who just happened to have captured Harry's heart.

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The world, for once, in perfect harmony

Hermione began the conversation again, trying to stop blushing. "So- um… who're you taking?" Harry looked down and began tracing something in the wooden surface of the table with the tip of his wand. "Ah… you heard what Ron said… no one yet." Hermione turned away, hiding her face under the pretense of lighting the dying fire again. "I see."

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With all its living things

When Hermione turned back, she saw three glittering words on the surface of the table and an empty seat. _Harry Loves Her. _She smiled faintly. Her? Who? She twisted around, looking for Harry. "Harry? Who's she? If you want, I'll help you get to her-" She broke off when two hands fell gently over her eyes, shutting out the room. A gentle voice spoke in her ear. "Will you help me get to her? She's one in a million, and I think she's the perfect girl for me." 

Hermione's heart sank. _So it wasn't her. _She swallowed, determined to hide her pain. "Sure, who is she?" The hands over her eyes disappeared, and Harry sat down across from her again, smiling. "I'll describe her to you."

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Can you feel the love tonight?

"She's got these wonderful eyes that twinkle when she smiles, and she's so friendly and lovable in every way…" Harry began counting off his fingers, his eyes holding a wistful, faraway look… while Hermione's heart began to break.

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You needn't look too far

"She's been right under my nose all along, I can't believe I've never seen her for what she really was… she was heaven-sent." Harry looked back at Hermione, who was looking up at the ceiling and blinking furiously. "Am I too… " Hermione waved a hand at him, avoiding his gaze, saying in a choked voice "Go on… keep going. I'm- I'm fine." 

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Stealing through the night's uncertainties

_"All this time… I thought it was me. I thought he was going to ask me to the Ball." _Hermione shuddered at her folly. _"So you really aren't the cleverest girl in your batch… you're just another, heartbroken teenager…" _Across her, she heard Harry make a funny clucking noise. 

"Oh, would you look at that? I didn't finish it." 

Out of the corner of her blurring eyes, Hermione saw Harry bend over the three glowing words he had scrawled on the tabletop. She blinked again, waiting for Harry to finally reveal the name of that girl… the girl who, unknowingly, had crushed Hermione's emotions in one night. She heard Harry straighten up, with a trembling note of awkward satisfaction and bashful words, say "There you go." 

Hermione opened her eyes, and through the film of tears that dared not fall, saw Harry's final sentence.

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"Harry Loves Hermione."

In shock, and with the overwhelming emotion that threatened to make her tears spill, she faced Harry, who was looking incredibly bashful. "Harry…" she began, unsure of what to say. But before she could finish her sentence, Harry, blushing furiously and trying to hide it, leaned nearer. "Hermione-" he gulped. "Want to go with me to the Ball?" 

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Love is where they are

And there, with those few casual words, spoken by just another boy to just another girl, two hearts touched in a whirl of passion and joy. "Please, Hermione?" 

Hermione was silent, but when Harry moved closer, and oh, so ever slowly, placed his hand over hers, she looked up at him with eyes brimming with happiness. "Harry… I'd love to." The relief and rapture on Harry's face equaled Hermione's. 

In the silence of the darkening common room, lit only by the dying embers of the fire, two people fell happily in love, and God knows, that nowhere on earth, is there a greater miracle.

The darkness and silence under the staircase was suddenly broken by two very muffled, very identical sniffs. A choked voice spoke in the tone George Weasley adapts when he tries to hold back emotion. "And if he falls in love… tonight…" An obscure cough. "It can be assumed…" Fred suddenly broke in. "His carefree days with us are history…" 

"In short, our pal is doomed!"

~fin~

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Disclaimer: 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight?' belongs to Walt Disney Studios and to its writer/composer.

*This whole idea, of writing a H/H songfic using this song, and this scene, belongs to that wonderful nine-year-old child prodigy who sits beside me on the bus… Catherine A. (Ginny G.) This is dedicated to her. (She also inspired 'Fata Viam Invenient' in me, and it was her older sister, Berna, who worked out all the kinks in 'Fata'.) Keep it up, Cat!


End file.
